Many field devices and other process related equipment in a process plant include provisions for detecting abnormal situations and preventing them from occurring. Process plant field devices may include devices such as valves, valve positioners, switches, transmitters, and sensors (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors). Other process related equipment may include various types of rotating equipment, power generation and distribution equipment, and the like. Each different type of process related equipment having abnormal situation prevention capabilities will likely face different types abnormal situations. Unique algorithms may be developed to detect and prevent the various abnormal situations that may occur for each different type of field device or other process related equipment within a process plant. For example, an abnormal situation prevention algorithm may be implemented to detect plugged impulse lines in differential pressure process flow measuring device.
Many abnormal situation prevention algorithms require monitoring some process variable that changes as a function of one or more other load variables. It is common to use regression analysis to model a monitored variable as a function of a load variable during a learning phase. Once the learning phase is complete the model may be used to predict values of the monitored variable based on measurements of the load variable. The predicted values of the monitored variable may be compared to actual measured values of the monitored variable. An abnormal situation may be detected if the difference between the predicted value of the monitored variable and the measured value of the monitored variable is greater than some predetermined amount. There are many different types of regression models that may be employed in an abnormal situation prevention system. However, one must keep in mind that a regression model developed during a particular learning phase may only be applicable to the particular set of operating conditions present during the learning phase. If one or more operating conditions change during the monitoring phase the regression model may not remain valid. Another problem is that in many applications, the learning phase for training a regression model may be too long relative to the amount of time required for the abnormal situation to develop.